Greetings from Charlotte,
After a tumultuous season politically, economically, and in the weather, we are grateful that God's Holy Days have finally arrived, just in time! With the Feast of Trumpets tomorrow and the Day of Atonement just ten days away, and the Feast of Tabernacles following quickly after, it's a wonderful time to immerse ourselves fully in God's plan of salvation for all mankind. Dr. and Mrs. Roderick Meredith are in Boston, Massachusetts, this weekend for the Feast of Trumpets and the weekly Sabbath; Mr. and Mrs. Richard Ames are in Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana; and Dr. Douglas Winnail is in Fort Lauderdale and Ocala, Florida.
Mr. Wayne Pyle reports that last week's Tomorrow's World telecast, "Reaping the Whirlwind" is expected to reach nearly 4,000 responses. He also reports that the telecast has now been viewed by 2.8 million households over the past twelve months—over 20 million households since its inception in 1999. According to Nielsen's, more than 15% of all North American TV households have now viewed the telecast at least one time. We are certainly grateful for the avenues God has given us to preach and publish the Gospel! Please pray for the family of Mr. Sergio Carvajal, our elder in Chile, who recently died after a prolonged illness (cards and letters of encouragement may be sent to the address below). And please remember all of our brethren beset with health difficulties, especially those who won't be able to attend the Feast.—RMc
Address for condolence cards for Carvajal family:
Sra. María Audelia Hidalgo de Carvajal e hijos
Casilla 31
Independencia, Santiago
Chile
Feast of Tabernacles 2011
Panama City Host Hotel—Wyndham Bay Point
Some of you registered for Panama City may have received e-mail messages from the Bay Point Marriott regarding their name change to Wyndham Bay Point Resort. This is a change in name only, and should have no effect on our Feast arrangements since the same personnel will still be on site. Unless you want to make changes to your reservation there is no need to contact the Marriott/Wyndham. Your reservation is retained and will be honored. The Wyndham also wanted to change the name of the street since it was also named Marriott. We have listed the new information below.
Wyndham Bay Point Resort
(Please note new address:)
4114 Jan Cooley Drive
Panama City Beach, FL 32408
+1850-236-6000
Atonement and Sabbath Services/Contact List
Brethren can now find out where Atonement services (October 8) and Sabbath services after the Feast (October 22) will be held. This may be especially useful for brethren travelling on the way to or on the way home from the Feast. The list also provides a contact in the local congregation, if you need more information. You can access this list by going on the MyLCG website (www.cogl.org).
Beach Parties—Appropriate Swimwear for the Feast
Appropriate beach attire for women and men is swimwear that is modest and in good taste. We are to be guided by the two great commandments—to love God and love neighbor (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:29-31)—so as not to offend God or neighbor in our dress at the Feast. Fathers and husbands have a responsibility to be leaders in their family to teach and guide regarding what is appropriate and what is not (Ezekiel 22:26).
New Braunfels Feast Video Streaming Instructions
For those with an Internet connection who are unable to attend services during the Feast, you will be able to view a live video stream from the New Braunfels, Texas site. Just log into your MyLCG account (www.cogl.org/mylcg.shtml), then click on the button under the "Feast 2011 Streaming Video" header in the right column. Opening night service will start at 7 p.m. (CST), and most services will begin at 10:30 a.m., U.S. Central Time Zone. The video should play with almost any Internet connection, but dial-up users should expect some choppiness. For all users, please make sure you have the latest version of your favorite Internet browser with the most current version of the Adobe Flash plug-in (http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/). If you have any questions, please contact Mr. John Robinson at [email protected].—Phil Sena
Orford, Quebec (Repeat Announcement)
With the Feast coming very quickly, we would like to remind all the talented people of the Church of God who are coming to Mont Orford, QC, Canada not to forget their guitars, harmonicas, tap shoes, etc. On Sunday night during the Feast, we will be holding a Talent Show. Whether you are a juggler, musician, singer, tap dancer, mime or other, come and brighten our evening with your skills. On another subject, remember that the Feast is in mid-October this year and, therefore, the temperature may be cold. Do remember to bring warm clothes and warm shoes or boots. Also, please do not forget that this is a bilingual site. Remember, each person must bring his own FM radio receiver and earphones for translation purposes. These can be purchased for less than $10 at any electronics store. Most services will be held in English, but two will be in French. Translation into both languages will be provided.—Marc Arseneault
Mail Processing Department
Holy Day Offering Envelopes: With the current problems in the U.S. Postal System, we encourage all U.S. brethren to be prepared to bring their own envelopes for the offerings on the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. If you use your own envelope, please be sure to write your Personal Identification Number on it. You can find your PIN on the Tomorrow's World magazine label. Extra green envelopes should also be available from ushers at services on these two Holy Days.
Finance Department
Attention ministers: With the fall Festival season in high gear, the accounting staff would like to remind you that you should keep your receipts for Festival expenses separate from your regular Minex. We track all expenses by categories, such as local congregation, Feast, TWSP, youth camp, etc. A separate expense form should be submitted for each month and category. If you need updated forms, please log into your MyLCG account on www.cogl.org and go to "Finance Forms" under the "Church Administration" section. It can add several days of processing time for reimbursement when expenses are not submitted properly.
Comments
Satan the Devil, Banished: After the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement comes just nine days later. With the burst of activity just before the Feast of Tabernacles, it's easy to gloss over and miss the meaning of this vital Holy Day. Without the Day of Atonement—symbolizing the binding of Satan the Devil—the peaceful and prosperous Millennium simply would not happen.
As the Day of Atonement draws near, let's meditate on its meaning for the world, for the Church, and for us personally. We have an enemy who is active day and night seeking to make us stumble and discourage us, especially as the Feasts draw near. But the Apostle Peter wrote, "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world" (1 Peter 5:8-9). It's wonderful to contemplate what a profound difference it will make in society when this hateful being's evil work is stopped. How grateful we can be to observe the Day of Atonement and learn how God will make that happen!
Have a restful and rejuvenating Sabbath,
Rod McNair
News and Prophecy—September 28, 2011
Palestinian Statehood? Actions in the UN last week forced discussions about a future Palestine. Since Palestinian president Abbas made his request, five EU nations, including France, have pushed to "upgrade" Palestinian territories to "full-membership" in the UN. Three other EU nations have joined the UK and U.S. in opposition. Many UN members are avoiding the discussion in support of restarting the stalled peace talks. "The potential UN vote on Palestine's status could end up splitting the EU and causing a clash with the US in what diplomats are calling a 'train wreck'" (EU Observer, September 26, 2011). After his UN speech on Sunday, Mr. Abbas returned home, vowing to resist peace talks unless Palestine is granted statehood and Israel stops expanding settlements in the West Bank (Reuters, September 25, 2011). However he did announce that a "Palestinian Spring" has begun (Associated Press, September 25, 2011). The Palestinian statehood issue is putting more pressure on Israel and its neighbors. Christ warned that, one day, Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies, and eventually "trampled" by "Gentiles" for 3.5 years (Luke 21:20-24, Revelation 11:2). Events today are building toward this sobering, prophesied time.
A War in Europe in 10 Years? Poland now holds the EU's rotating presidency and its finance minister, Jacek Rostowski, made this prediction two weeks ago. On September 14, Mr. Rostowski spoke to MEPs (members of parliament) in Strasbourg. In his speech, he "warned of the need to act rapidly to prevent grave danger for the EU." This comment followed growing speculation Greece will default on its EU loans. Swiss financial giant UBS just released a report titled, "Euro Break Up—The Consequences." Reacting to the report, Mr. Rostowski commented, "There is no doubt we are in danger. Europe is in danger." He ended his speech by recalling a recent discussion with a friend who now heads a major bank, "We were talking about the crisis in eurozone. He told me 'You know, after all these political shocks, economic shocks, it is very rare indeed that in the next 10 years we could avoid a war.' A war ladies and gentlemen. I am really thinking about obtaining a green card for my kids in the United States." Mr. Rostowski later clarified to a reporter that he had very carefully chosen the words of his speech. "He said that the prospect of war is not likely 'within a four-year legislative time frame… Not in the months ahead, but maybe over a 10-year time frame, this could place us in a context that is almost unimaginable at the moment'" (EU Observer, September 14, 2011). Mr. Rostowski's comments may have been politically motivated, but Bible prophecy reveals that upheaval is in store for Europe as a final configuration of 10 kingdoms, or possibly nations, settle out "on top." This elite group will form the final Beast power of Revelation (Daniel 2:41-43; Revelation 13:4-7, 17:7-13). This Beast will eventually war against a strong Arab power (Daniel 11:40-43). This Beast will also capture and even destroy much of the population of the Israelite-descended nations (Amos 4:10; 5:2-3)—several of which are nations of modern Europe. For more information on this fascinating topic, review our booklet, The Beast of Revelation.
Another Super Bug? "The fungus, Candida albicans, is widespread among humans. It is relatively harmless to healthy people but can be fatal to hospital patients with weak immune systems." It causes 25% of hospital blood infections and is an opportunistic infection that moves from the gut to the blood stream when body defenses are low. Like MRSA and C. difficil ("C. dif"), this fungus has the ability to develop resistance to treatment. At the recent Society for General Microbiology conference, Dr. Carol Munro of Aberdeen University acknowledged, "C. albicans does not infect as many people as MRSA but doctors are so scared of people getting infections that they bombard them with drugs from the start which weakens the immune system." When severe infections set in, there is a 50% death rate from the disease (Telegraph, September 7, 2011). Disease and "pestilence" are some of the "signs of the end of the age" Christ listed in Matthew 24:7-8. In modern society, rather than live healthier lives and turn to God first for healing when sick (see James 5:13-16), most people put their complete faith and trust in doctors, hospitals and medicine. One day soon most diseases will disappear because of obedience to God's laws (Exodus 15:26). What will that world be like—a world free of disease? For more information on the topic of healing, review our booklet, Does God Heal Today?—Deborah Lincoln-Strange, James and Sue Bennett, Scott Winnail